THE third seasonal fixture of store lambs and breeding sheep at Skipton Auction Mart on Wednesday (August 7) saw a steady rise in numbers forward and buyers needing deeper pockets with a higher overall average of almost £4 per head on the fortnight.

A total of 5164 store lambs went through on August 7 - up from 3591 on July 24 and up from 4068 on the same week in 2023. The latest sale averaged £105.78 per head compared to £101.95 two weeks ago and £87.61 last year. Forward also were 123 breeding sheep.

Sale day included the annual prize show for a pen of 20 or more Beltex x lambs. The red rosette again headed for the third year running to Tosside farmers Trevor and Clive Robinson for a pen of 25 Beltex lambs which tapped out to a breed high of £150 per head. The second prize pen sold to £148 per head from Frankland Farms, Rathmell, with the third prize pen from Adrian Leach, Hebden Bridge, selling at £135 per head. Judging the entries was Thomas Walmesley, of Haverah Park, Harrogate.

Other top per head prices included D&SJ Pinder, Newton-InBowland, who made £144 for a smart pen of 12 Beltex x lambs. Younger lambs with heads and skins sold at £115 to £130.

First crossed Texel lambs with size and power saw per head prices reaching above £120 with the next grade of strong framed first crossed lambs selling at £108-£118. Younger first crossed lambs £90-£104 with long-term lambs reached £85-£95. A single Texel lamb from J Frankland, Settle, sold to £153.

Suffolks sold to £127 per head from F Reeday & Son, Hetton. Good farming lambs sold at £110-£120 with long-keepers making £84-£95.

Mule wether lambs from R Berry, Cowling, sold to £109 per head for a pen of 50 and £108 from A Newbould & Son. Dallowgill.

Good farming Mule lambs with frame sold at £88-£98 each and younger/ longer keep lambs selling at £75-£85. Cheviot lambs sold to £100 per head from BG Rushmer, Kettlewell. Lonk x Texel lambs sold to £115 from C Crowther, Saddleworth. Other hill x lambs met a strong ringside audience and sold at £88-£105.

Principle prices: Beltex (av £131.36) £150 T&C Robinson; £148 £134 R Marwood; £148 £138 Frankland Farms; £144 £136 D&SJ Pinder; £135 AM Leach; £134 BR Lawson.

Suffolk (av £107.48) £127, £114 F Reeday & Son; £118 SA Robinson; £118 B Smith; £118, £117 £113 JCD Farming; £117 CJ Dews; £111 CA Foster.

Texel (av £106.88) £153, £143 J Frankland; £135 H Airey; £130, £126 JGE Heseltine; £128, £126 JA&JH Hewetson; £127 RE Metcalfe; £126 D&C Wood; £126 R Marwood.

Mule (av £90.59) £109 R Berry; £108 A Newbould; £106 CO Jackson; £104 KR Verity; £103 JCD Farming; £101 RD Metcalfe; £99 JM Daggett.

Charollais (av £82.82) £115 T&J Smith; £99 CN&S Lupton; £98, £80 A Nicholson.

Cheviot (av £89.57) £100 £79 BG Rushmer; £97, £93 SL Fairfax.

Blue Texel (av £118.57) £120 HJ Hitchcock; £115 R Wilson.

Feeding ewes - Cheviot to £86 A Nicholson.

It was a quieter trade for breeding ewes on sale day with 100 ewes to choose from mainly consisting of Mules, Texels and Suffolks. The average came to £149.55. Texel ewes were top of the trade with a pen from Jonny Metcalfe, of Linton, making £168 per head for some three-crop ewes. Steven Dorey topped the shearling trade with a top price of £165.